Morellet, 100 pour cent

The Centre Pompidou-Metz pays tribute to François Morellet (1926–2016) with a unique retrospective, the largest ever devoted to the artist, bringing together 100 works spanning more than 70 years of creativity.

A painter of rules and disorder, Morellet embodies the tension between geometric rigor and the joy of chance. From his early figurative paintings to his experiments with light, the exhibition reveals a free, ironic spirit, oscillating between mathematical order and optical unreason. Nourished by Max Bill and inspired by the Alhambra, he invented a concrete art stripped of all expressiveness, soon open to the vibration of the gaze and the play of perceptions.

This exhibition is part of 100 x Morellet, a vast national program initiated by the Centre Pompidou to mark the centenary of the artist's birth. This large-scale project is unfolding throughout France through new exhibitions, rediscoveries of works in collections and public spaces, as well as a series of meetings, conferences, and an international symposium. The aim is to reexamine Morellet's legacy, his place in art history, his relationship to heritage and architecture, and the influence he continues to exert on contemporary artists.